Consolidation of the basque language

With euskara batua as the new unified tongue, there were major
changes in Basque literature. Basque novels and poetry shed their
folkloric facets, delving instead into existentialism and modernism.
Euskaltzaindia began work on developing a corpus of the language
and its regulatory texts, grammar books and dictionaries. Science
and research began to find expression in Basque, and the Basque
Summer University paved the way for what is now the Basque
Public University.

247. Euskera batua (Unified Basque). The process of unification of
the Basque language, which had also been shelved after the coup,
needed to be resumed. The Congress of Euskaltzaindia held in
Arantzazu in October 1968 laid the foundations for linguistic unification
and the definition of the new unified language, euskera
batua. 248. Work by Nestor Basterretxea. 249. Jose Antonio Sistiaga (San Sebastian 1932), with his film Ere
erera baleibu izik subua aruaren...1968-70, a 75-minute silent film,
made by applying paint directly to the 35 mm celluloid film. 250. Before the creation of the University of the Basque Country
(EHU-UPV) in 1980, Basque had already found a place in university
life: in 1974 the first dissertation was given in Basque, by
Jacinto Iturbe, Professor of Chemistry; the cardiologist Rikardo
Arrupe read the first thesis in Basque and in the School of Chemistry
at San Sebastian, the first subject began to be taught through Basque
in 1976. In 1977, Koldo Mitxelena took over the recently created
chair in Basque at the University School of Alava, with Henrike
Knörr as his collaborator. In 1978, a specialist course in Basque
Philology was created at the teacher training colleges in Bilbao and
San Sebastian, and in 1979 the first complete year's studies in
Biology, Geology and Chemistry were given in Basque. 251. At the start of this period, Mikel Laboa (San Sebastian 1934-
2008) released his album Haika mutil (1969). He ended it with
Joxan Artze. The innovative show Ikimi-likiliklik! premiered in 1976.
Like other singer-songwriters from the period, they packed squares,
theatres and ball courts, helping to bring the Basque language to a
wider audience through. 252. Udako Euskal Unibertsitatea (the Basque Summer University)
arose out of the success of the Basque Weeks of Bayonne in 1970-
72. It held its first summer courses in Donibane Lohizune (Saint-
Jean-de-Luz) in 1973. Its programmes, run in Pamplona from 1977,
now functioned all year round, and enjoyed extensive scientific and
social projection. 253. Pelotari (1964) and Amalur (1968) by Nestor Basterretxea and
Fernando Larruquert became the first film productions with Basque theme, along with documentaries such as Navarra cuatro
estaciones (1971), by Julio Caro Baroja and Navarra agreste (1972),
by Rafa Treku. 254. The visual arts were going through a very interesting period in
expressive terms. In painting: Rafa Ruiz Balerdi, Bixente Ameztoi,
Andres Nagel, Mentxu Gal and Jose Luis Zumeta. In sculpture:
Nestor Basterretxea, Remigio Mendiburu, Vicente Larrea and
Ricardo Ugarte. The field of music included composers such as Jose
Luis Isasa, Luis de Pablo and Agustín Gonzalez Azilu. Painting by
Jose Luis Zumeta. 255. In Navarre, several intellectuals supported the Basque-speaking
community, helping add to its prestige. Miguel Javier Urmeneta
(Pamplona 1915-1988) was one of the promoters of the Basque
Promotion Section of the Provincial Government, directed by Pedro
Diez de Ultzurrun (Pamplona 1924-1994), which organised a large
number of activities to help revive the language. Figures such as the
ethnographer José Maria Satrustegi, José Agerre and Aingeru Irigarai
worked with them on the Basque-language magazine Príncipe de
Viana (1966). 256. Jon Mirande Ayphasorho (Paris, 1925-1972) from an emigrant
Souletin family, wrote the striking novel Haur besoetakoa. After an
initial ban, it was published in 1970 when it became a major success,
with several reprints. Together with Txomin Peillen, he created
the magazine Igela, euskaldun heterodoxoen errebista (1962). 257. Gabriel Aresti (Bilbao, 1933-1975) rejuvenated and modernised
Basque poetry. His books Harri eta herri (1964), Euskal harria
(1968) and Harrizko herri hau (1971) introduced Basque poetry into
social realism, creating a new imaginary world. He also cultivated
the theatre, short stories and novels, and translated many works by
renowned poets. The poetry movement Uhin Berri grew up around
Aresti's work. His poem Maldan behera (1959) was considered the
first text in what would come to be called euskera batua, unified
Basque. 258. Txillardegi, Jose Luis Alvarez Enparantza (San Sebastian, 1929),
with his novel Leturiaren egunkari ezkutua (1957), brought existentialism
to Basque fiction, abandoning the folkloric costumbrista tradition.
An engineer and linguist, he is an emeritus professor at the
UPV-EHU. Alvarez Enparantza is considered to be one of the finest
Basque sociolinguists and played a decisive role in building euskera
batua. 259. The crisis that hit the Basque economy in the mid-1970s
brought major changes: emigration, unemployment and industrial
decline affected all of the structures of the country. From 1975 on,
the defenders of a Basque national identity gained greater social
projection, and in the final period of the Franco regime, that movement
was manifested in the arts and in culture; its leaders enthusiastically
defended Basque as part of a shared heritage. The Basque
language became ever more visible and there were increasing calls
for it to be given official status. 260. Emblem of the first campaign promoting the social use of Basque,
launched by the Provincial Government of Gipuzkoa in 1982.